The Tribune – Canadian filmmaker here for documentary on foeticide

Gagan K Teja, Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 1. After writing 22 books, including “Female Foeticide – A Curse”, which has inspired the under-production Hollywood film “Roaring Silence”, city-based doctor Dr Harshindar Kaur will now feature in an international documentary on female foeticide.

Rama Rau, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker from Canada, is making a multilingual documentary on the various facets of female foeticide. She was in the city to shoot Dr Harshindar Kaur’s extensive interview at her residence here. She was accompanied by her team of technicians.

Rau has made various documentaries under TriNetra productions. Her important works include “Loosing My Religion” in which she explores the connections between faith and religious tensions, weaving together the stories of three Canadians – A firebrand Muslim woman, a devout Sikh boxer and a staunch Indian Catholic.

Talking to The Tribune, Rau said she toured various places, including Mumbai, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, to meet people who directly or indirectly indulged in this heinous practice and recorded their experiences. She said: “The gender-related killing of the female child, both before and after birth, has been the subject of umpteen research papers, media write-ups and documentaries.

She added that the documentary featured real-life incidents of families that had aborted their female foetuses and also those bravehearts who rebelled against their family members to give birth to females. The documentary was expected to be ready in four months and would be screened at the UN and international film festivals.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120202/punjab.htm#19

The Tribune – Honour killing: Ludhiana man kills sister, her lover

Mohit Khanna, Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 1. In an apparent case of honour killing, a son of a Congress worker allegedly killed his 25-year-old sister and her ‘lover’ by shooting them from a point blank range.

The incident took place at Hambran village, around 20 km from Ludhiana, early in the morning today when the accused, identified as Barjinder Singh, allegedly sprayed bullets on the ‘couple’ after “spotting them in a compromising position in his house.”

The victims have been identified as Navdeep Kaur, daughter of Teja Singh Gill, adviser in the District Congress Committee, and Harpreet Singh Johal, alias Happy (25), from Thrike village. The police said Teja Singh, his wife Shinder Kaur and younger son Harjinder Singh (18) had gone to visit a relative in Kishanpura village near Moga. Navdeep and her brother Barjinder were alone in the house.

Navdeep and Happy reportedly planned to meet. Happy entered the house at midnight by scaling the boundary wall.

At around 4:30 am, Barjinder woke up after his two pet dogs were barking continuously. He was surprised to see them caged.

Barjinder told the police that he suspected some thieves might have trespassed into the house. He immediately pulled out a .32 revolver, which is in his father’s name, and started inspecting the house.

It was then he spotted the couple in a compromising position in the drawing room. “In a fit of rage, he pumped four bullets into Happy’s body and then shot Navdeep in her temple,” said investigating officer Swarn Singh. A close aide of Teja Singh, who was sleeping in the office located outside the house, rushed to the crime site after hearing gunshots.

According to Hambran Chowki in charge Sarabjit Singh, after killing the duo, Barjinder reportedly informed his father and mother about the incident. Later, he surrendered before the police and confessed to the killings.

Teja Singh and other members of the family feigned ignorance and claimed that they had no clue about the “affair” going on between the boy and the girl.

“We were planning to marry off out daughter in Canada and had even zeroed down on two, three suitable boys for her,” claimed Teja.

However, the boy’s family had a different tale to tell. Happy’s father Bhupinder Singh Johal and his brother Maninder Singh told the police that the girl and the boy were in a relationship. Navdeep’s family was aware of it, claimed the duo.

“What was the need of killing my son. The family could have at least informed me. My son was well educated. He had done BCA, PGDCA and was about to leave for Canada. I had told the girl’s family to wait for a year for marriage. The girl’s family was against the marriage, as they are rich,” rued Bhupinder Singh.

Firearm in house raises brows  

The presence of a revolver in the Congress leader’s house has raised many eyebrows. According to election commission guidelines, those having arms were directed to deposit them with the police. But Teja Singh, it is said, did not follow the guidelines.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120202/main2.htm

The Hindu – SIT chief trying to protect Modi, alleges Gujarat Congress

Manas Dasgupta

Gandhinagar, 2 February 2012. The Gujarat Congress Legislature Party has launched a scathing attack on R.K. Raghavan, chairman of the Supreme Court–appointed Special Investigation Team, probing some of the gruesome 2002 Gujarat communal riot massacres.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Shaktisinh Gohil, said his party took strong exception to the style of functioning of Mr. Raghavan, who he alleged “blatantly tried to protect Mr. Modi and other accused.”

The CLP meeting was held here on Wednesday to consider the party’s strategy during the coming budget session, scheduled to begin later this month. Besides the party MLAs, including State Congress president Arjun Modhwadia, representing the Porbandar constituency, some Congress MPs also attended the meeting as special invitees.

Pointing out that Mr. Raghavan’s conduct raised doubts in the minds of the people of the State, Mr. Gohil said the CLP expected the Supreme Court to provide justice to the people, “in case Mr. Raghavan played any mischief.”

He pointed out that though the Supreme Court had on September 12 last year asked Mr. Raghavan to submit the final report, he was “deliberately delaying the task.” He said Mr. Raghavan did not bother to record statements of important witnesses in the riot cases, including some police officers like R.B. Shreekumar, Sanjiv Bhatt and Rahul Sharma.

“Loopholes”

Pointing out that Mr. Raghavan was earlier associated with Ratan Tata, whose Nano car project had been extended special incentives in billions of rupees by the Modi government, the CLP appreciated the work done by the Supreme Court’s amicus curiae in the case, Raju Ramchandran, who “did a lot of home work and prepared a comprehensive report in the case. But Mr. Raghavan is trying to find loopholes to save Chief Minister and other accused.”

“Mr. Ramchandran had pointed out in his report the presence of some Ministers in the police control rooms, presence of the suspended IPS officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, at the residence of Chief Minister during the crucial meeting on the night of February 27, 2002, and suggested action against Mr. Modi and others under the provisions of Section 153 (A), 153(B), 505 and 166.” But, Mr. Raghavan was “still trying to save the Chief Minister,” the statement said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2851352.ece

Brussel, Bruxellles, Brussels, 20 December 2011

Beurs – Bourse, Christmas market

MIVB/STIB Prémetro station Beurs – Bourse

Beurs – Bourse, Christmas market

Boulevard ANSPACH Laan
Jules Victor Anspach, ex mayor of Brussel

To see more Belgian pictures go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622046344528/

More Belgian pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Farmers fret as UP labourers head home; Freebies in poll-bound state may trigger huge trouble for Punjab

Aman Sood, Tribune News Service

Rajpura, February 1. As political parties in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh promise a slew of freebies and incentives to prospective voters, thousands of migrants from the state working in Punjab have packed their bags to return home. The large-scale migration is expected to spell trouble for thousands of Punjab farmers as they approach the wheat-harvesting season.

To begin with, parties were offering around Rs 10,000 for the votes of a family, but as the UP ballot battle heated up, sops came to include government quotas, free laptops and even plots, offers hard to resist.

For Om Parkash, a farm help in Banur, toiling through the three-month season fetches him some Rs 20,000. But with the poll season in full swing back home in UP, he hopes to earn this much in his hometown, Saraiganj. “I will get to stay with my family and work on my small farm,” he says.

Nasrat Khan, a kite string maker in Ludhiana, received a call from his cousin informing him that UP Chief Minister Mayawati had promised to upgrade kutcha houses to pucca and promised government jobs. Then the main Opposition, Samajwadi Party, announced free education and even laptops.

“I have three daughters and a son and earn around Rs 1 lakh after working very hard through the year. Going back home can change my life around,” says Nasrat.

For thousands like Nasrat who barely manage to eke out a living in Punjab, the UP Assembly polls and the lofty promises of the government and political parties are a god-sent opportunity to better their future.

“It makes complete sense to return to UP. We leave our homes and families behind to come and work here. And what do we get? A tough life and hardly any savings. Going back means staying with the family and who knows, one of us may land a government job, as promised,” says the nine-member Tiwari family, seated on a berth in the Saryu Yamuna Express at the Rajpura railway station.

But the migration is worrying landlords. “The wheat harvesting season is almost here and paddy season will follow. With the farm labour going away, the already high labour input costs will only spiral,” says Jujhar Singh from Sangrur. The farm labour that comes from UP specialises in paddy transplantation and is an asset during the season, he tells.

“First migrants from Bihar decided to return after development activities in the state and now the UP poll promises are luring away labour. If these migrations continue, agriculture in Punjab will suffer beyond words,” Jujhar Singh added.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120202/main5.htm

Dawn – Centre to ask Punjab government to stay away from banned outfits

Islamabad, 2 February 2012. Concerned over free movement of a leader of a banned sectarian organisation, the federal cabinet decided on Wednesday to formally take up the matter with the Punjab government.

Malik Ishaq, former head of the proscribed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, had attended a rally organised by the Difaa-i-Pakistan Council in Multan on January 30. A source told Dawn that a couple of ministers from southern Punjab had raised the issue during the cabinet meeting and said it appeared that Malik Ishaq had got patronage from the provincial government.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the meeting that the permission for the rallies held in Lahore and Multan by the Difa-i-Pakistan Council recently had been granted by the district coordination officers concerned.

Since the DCOs fell under the administrative control of the chief minister, the federal government at best could seek an explanation from the Punjab government, he added.

The source said the cabinet decided to formally take up the issue with the provincial government, ensuring that the Difaa-i-Pakistan Council should stay away from individuals like Malik Ishaq in future.

Malik Ishaq rose to fame because of his alleged involvement in an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009.

He was released on bail by the Supreme Court in July last ear after the prosecution failed to prove his involvement in the case.

After the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani hosted a dinner for the parliamentarians belonging to allied parties of the Pakistan People’s Party.

According to an official of the prime minister’s secretariat, the function was meant to shore up support of the coalition partners for a smooth passage of the 20th Amendment bill.

Prominent among those who attended the dinner were Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Haji Munir Khan Orakzai, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Babar Khan Ghauri and Ghulam Ahmad Bilour.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Gilani said being a unanimously elected leader of the house he wanted to get the bill passed by the parliament with consensus. He informed the coalition partners that he had already talked to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and sought his cooperation for the passage of the bill.

The coalition partners assured the prime minister of their full support for adoption of the 20th Amendment and said the amendment would benefit all parties because it would give legal cover to by-elections.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/02/centre-to-ask-punjab-govt-to-stay-away-from-banned-outfits.html